Vancouver’s fire department is preparing to stop responding to the site of non-critical medical calls to preserve its ability to respond to major fires and other emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fire Chief Darrell Reid told a news conference this week the department is looking at changing its service model, in a move representing one of many ways emergency response across the country is evolving as the novel coronavirus spreads. “We’re triaging ourselves to maximize our ability to stay resilient for a long term,” Reid said.
The experience of other countries around the world illustrates that COVID-19 calls may evolve to become top-priority medical calls, Reid said.